Royals believe Brandon Finnegan can still be eligible for postseason roster

There was some consternation among Royals officials late on Sunday evening caused by the suspension of their game against the Indians. The game could not be completed before 11 p.m. CDT, which was the deadline to add players to the 40-man roster and make them eligible for the playoffs.

Earlier in the night, Kansas City announced the incoming promotion of left-handed pitcher Brandon Finnegan, their first-round pick in June. But the team never announced a corresponding maneuver to shift Finnegan to the 40-man roster. They were hamstrung from making any moves on their active roster, because a team cannot do so while a game is ongoing.

Thus they had to wait, and never did make an official move to add Finnegan before the deadline. But assistant general manager Dean Taylor informed The Star Monday morning that there is still a way for the club to ensure the eligibility of a player not yet on the 40-man roster for October.

Taylor, the former general manager of the Brewers, exhibits a mastery of the league’s myriad administrative and procedural quirks. He operates as the front office’s safety net. He explained Finnegan could still inherit a spot on the roster claimed by Luke Hochevar, who is currently on the 60-day disabled list as he recovers from Tommy John surgery.

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As Taylor explained it, via email, “any player who is on the DL at Midnight ET on 8/31 and who has served the minimum time requirement for the DL he is on (60 days in the case of Hochevar) may be replaced on the postseason eligibility list by any player who is in the organization at Midnight ET on 8/31.”

That second player could be Finnegan. It could also, theoretically, be someone like Justin Maxwell or Carlos Peguero. But the Royals are heading into September believing they can still maneuver the 21-year-old southpaw into their bullpen in October.